Stay fit
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight or to simply live a healthier lifestyle, follow our tips and tricks to stay fit.
How to stay fit in 2019
- Clean out your pantry– Kick start your New Year’s resolution to lose weight by cleaning out your pantry. Throw out anything that contains trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup.
- Cut back on eating out– In order to consistently lose weight, it’s extremely important to change your eating habits and to adopt a “healthy lifestyle” approach. This starts with cutting back on eating out. Since the fast pace of today’s world makes it nearly impossible to cut dining out completely, order wisely when at restaurants. Opt for the grilled chicken sandwich without mayo instead of a burger, or if you order a salad, ask for the dressing on the side.
- Portion control– Portion size is extremely important to consider when losing weight. Some quick references to remember when controlling portion sizes are: three ounces of lean meat is equivalent to a deck of cards, and 1 cup of breakfast cereal is about the size of your fist. When cooking and purchasing foods, make sure to look at the nutrition facts to determine what is considered a serving. Then, measure out your serving size. This will help you determine exactly how much you are consuming and, in turn, prevent you from overeating.Eating out is another battle when controlling portion sizes. A tip to control portion size when eating out is to immediately box-up half your meal. This will prevent you from overeating, no matter how tasty your meal may be.
- Plan your meals- Plan all your meals at the beginning of each week, including snacks. Then make a grocery list only including these items, and stick to it! This will allow you to start the week off with the right mindset. Whether you 100% stick to your plan or not, at least you will have more control over your diet then if you didn’t have a plan at all. A bonus to planning your meals is cutting out overspending on your grocery bill. Need some help planning healthy meals? Click here to discover how to incorporate healthy foods into your diet.
- Keep a food journal- Writing down what you eat throughout the day will allow you to analyze your eating habits. At the end of each day refer back to your food journal and ask yourself questions such as, “Did I eat at least 4-5 servings of fruit and veggies?’ ‘Did I eat correct portion sizes?’ and ‘Did I eat when I wasn’t hungry?’.”
- Develop an exercise routine- Design an exercise routine that fits your interests and schedule, and stick to it! For example, if you get home from work on Mondays by 5 p.m., dedicate that night to running or doing a class at the gym. Make sure to add variety to your workout routine as well. This will help you work all your muscle groups, and keep you from getting bored with your routine.
- Get an exercise buddy– Exercising with a buddy can make the whole gym process a lot less intimidating, and even fun! Make plans together to go on runs, walks, to yoga, or to the gym. Having a workout buddy motivates you to not only exercise but to also push yourself harder when working out.
- Drink plenty of water– Constantly drinking water is a vital factor in any diet. It can help keep you full longer, help energize muscles, and it has been shown to increase your metabolism by up to 3%! Generally, experts say to drink at least eight, eight-ounce cups of water a day, which can be a challenge at times. Tips to drink more water include always keeping a glass of water at your desk, carrying a water bottle around with you whenever possible, substituting at least one beverage a day for water, and using flavored water enhancers if you still need something sweet.
- Eat lean protein- Eating foods with high levels of lean protein will help you stay full for longer, and will help refuel your muscles after a hard workout. Some examples of lean proteins include beans, eggs, chicken, turkey, and fish.
- Get sleep- According to Health.com, sleep is a cornerstone of weight management because of the impact it has on your hormones that control how you burn fat, how you store fat, and how you’re maintaining muscle. The better your hormone balance, the better your weight management.
Whether your New Year‘s resolution is to lose weight, stay in shape, or to become more financially savvy, Mariner Finance can help! We have compiled numerous financial advice articles including How to Calculate Simple Interest, Common Loan Terms Defined, Understanding your Credit Score, and more! Read our other financial articles, and start 2019 off on the right financial foot!
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